: Illustrator: How to add 3 or 4 part gradient to this logo? Illustrator: How to add 3 or 4 part gradient to this logo? I don't want it to a smooth gradient but a block-like looking gradient.

@Phylliss782

I think you could just use multiple strokes applied to the base shape.

You can add strokes in the Appearance panel flyout or via a button along it's bottom edge. The thickness would increase as you go down in stacking order.

Be sure to Align stroke to inside in the Stroke panel. It's the middle stroke alignment button.

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@LarsenBagley460

So you're looking to create something like this? Where it's not a gradient, but blocks of solid colour coming in from the outlines creating a gradient-like blocky slightly 1970s effect? (not sure what a name for that would be either...)



If that's what you're trying to do, it's pretty simple in terms of tools, there's basically two tools you need to know about:


Offset path (Object > Path > Offset Path). This creates a copy that is either bigger or smaller by a fixed amount
Multiple strokes, inside and outside aligned. Open up the massively important appearance window if you don't have it out all the time already (Windows > Appearance), then use the add stroke button at the bottom to plonk any number of additional strokes of any colour on your shape. Then, in the Stroke window, so long as they are closed paths, you can use the 'Align stroke' buttons to move it from following the middle of the path to the inside or outside.


There are lots of ways to use this to create effects like those you linked to. I used offset path to get a slightly larger copy, pushed it to the back, and gave each path an inside and an outside stroke. You could just pile on loads of progressively larger inside strokes for effects more like this...



...etc.

If you don't want the lines to be so regular - if you want them to fade in more progressively, that's kinda a different question, but play around with drawing a very thin version of the path of a different colour inside the original path, then select both, blend them (Object > Blend > Make), then in Object > Blend > Blending options, choose an appropriate fixed number of steps. Then, if you need more colour variety, expand the blend (Object > expand), and give each block the right colour.

The advantage of blends is more control. Here's an ugly but illustrative example of a simple blend between the original shape and a white shape added on top. You can have as many stages as needed in a blend. See also this related question for other ways to get blend-like concentric effects.

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